I don’t know about you, but these moments had me in tears. I am so inspired by these amazing athletes, and even more so by the sisterhood that’s been on display during this year’s Olympics. The images of Simone Biles bowing to Rebecca Andrade on the podium and Katie Ledecky sharing her victory moment with her teammate are beautiful examples of strong women uplifting each other.

It makes me sad that we don’t see this more often. We’ve been conditioned to compare ourselves and be critical of each other rather than lifting each other up.

So…I’m looking at how I can actively support women in my daily life, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. (I know there are men who will read this – and this applies to you too.)

Our society feels comfortable commenting on women’s bodies and using lame stereotypes to insult and degrade us. Television shows and movies pigeonhole women as being ‘dumb blondes,’ ‘childless cat ladies,’ and more. This type of programming has implanted itself into our subconscious, and it’s our job to rewrite that story. The first step to changing our thoughts is noticing them, so I’m being mindful of when I find myself internally critiquing another woman’s appearance. When I notice it, I put a stop to it. I’m also super critical of myself, and when I notice that, I put a stop to it too.

A qualified woman makes it to the presidential nomination, and men (and women) alike say she slept her way to the top. Let’s be honest … this has never been said about a man. Using words like “slut”, “easy”, and much worse belittles all women and diminishes our accomplishments. As Gloria Steinem says, “If women could sleep their way to the top, there would be a lot more women at the top.” When I hear someone say this about any woman, I will share Gloria’s quote.

We don’t need to be on podiums to cheer each other on. Every day offers opportunities to uplift and support the women around us. I’m challenging myself to not just think good thoughts, but actively compliment other women on their accomplishments, support their endeavors, and speak out against negative stereotypes when I encounter them.

I’m not saying we won’t run into women we don’t like and might not respect. I’m saying that using sexism and stereotypes to diminish each other isn’t the answer.  Join me in looking inward and asking … “is this thought/comment helpful or productive?”

And if no one has told you lately, you’re smart, gorgeous and amazing.

I’d love to hear your thoughts as always.

xoxo Tracey